Why do people not like this book?

[Nathalia]

I habe to disagree. I read a similar memoir by David Sedaris, and did not enjoy it at all either. Plus, I very much prefer female authors, so much so, that I consciously try to read more male authors.
I also wanted to like this book and I could kind of relate to her depression and her way of dealing with it in Italy. There was some blatant Americanisms, but hey... But I got really frustrated with her when she got to the Ashram and blathered on about how this was not one of those Ashrams, and then telling me it is full of Westerners and how they had to hand in their bank statements. And I was like, "Alright, it is one of those Ashrams. But Wisdom comes by different paths, and since she never talked to an actual Hindu, how would she know..." and then she went on about an Indian teen, who was so skinny and had only one outfit and practically worked for food at the Ashram (slavery). And all she had to say was how he inspired her to dress better. Closed the book, stopped reading.

[Janet]

At first I liked this book because it was easy to read it in small doses while I ate my lunch at work and it was easy to pick up and put down, since it has short, contained chapters. Then I finished it and started thinking about it. In my profession, I have met women who have gone through horrific things: a woman whose mentally ill son killed her daughter's children, women who survived incest, women who were raped, women who lost husbands and sons on 9/11, and yes, women who had tough divorces. IN EVERY INSTANCE, not one of them had the ability to pack up and go on vacation. Elizabeth Gilbert is a spoiled, whiny baby. She has nothing to offer people who survive, like the people I've mentioned. In retrospect, I think of this book as a travelogue. Don't get me started on the religious stuff.

[Nicola]

Ami wrote: "Midwestocean wrote: "I think it is because there are too many male identified women in the world. If the story was told through male eyes, I don't think there would have been such a backlash."

I ..."

For me gender is not the consideration. I have a problem with the way she goes about the hiatus, in a wealthy western mindset. I think her spirituality has inauthenticity to it, and she comes off as a self-indulgent westerner, "dabbling" in other cultures at a surface level and from a severely privileged standpoint. It's been years since I read this book now, but I also seem to remember having an issue with the romance aspect as well. I will close by saying that I have many friends who adored this book, and found the story inspirational. I'm happy that for some it provides that, but it is like all books not for everyone. For whatever reason it provokes such a polarized response, and I don't think that means that those in the "positive" camp should feel any less valid in loving the book. If Gilbert can empower some one then it is a positive, full stop.

[Erika Maria]

Boring and slow, did not like it.

[Kimberly]

I loved this book!!

[Mary]

I loved this book.

[Louella]

Kim wrote: "It was apparent to me the author - yes, narcissistic and whiny - threw together a proposal thinking, how could I get someone else to pay for a kick-ass trip?

As a result, the whole book felt fake,..."

That is exactly my reaction.

[Kara]

I rather liked the book (unexpectedly) and didn't consider Gilbert to be overly whiney, rather self-indulgent - but hey, she was on a 'journey"
what I couldn't get over, however, was the scene in the film in which an 'overweight' Julia Roberts 'struggles' to get into a tiny pair of jeans...didn't quite ring true...somehow...

[Rose]

Phyllis wrote: "Everyone who gets a divorce deals with it differently, and this a book about how one woman dealt with hers. If it is difficult to get into it/read it, then maybe you're not ready? I've been one o..."

Months later, maybe too late... The "me, me, me" part that personally irked me is that she has all these friends giving her great advice whom have gone through SO much worse things than her. She'd use the advice for that one situation and then drop it as a disposable remedy. She was this self-indulged white woman going into areas where people are starving and don't have the funds for basic necessities and going poor pitiful me. Lacks class.

[Mae]

Rose wrote: "Phyllis wrote: "Everyone who gets a divorce deals with it differently, and this a book about how one woman dealt with hers. If it is difficult to get into it/read it, then maybe you're not ready? ..."
Totally agree.

[Rose]

Monty J wrote: "Lara wrote: "Her search for growth is to get to know herself better and indulge herself in whatever she desires, not to empathize with others."

Herein lies the lesson. The success of the book prov..."

Is it also possible that the publisher sunk 6 figures into this woman and book and had to find a way to recoup that gamble? Thus, sensationalizing something that was a pointed reminder why most of the world reviles white Americans?

[Rose]

Nathalia wrote: "I habe to disagree. I read a similar memoir by David Sedaris, and did not enjoy it at all either. Plus, I very much prefer female authors, so much so, that I consciously try to read more male autho..."

Bravo! That was a major sticking point for me too.

[Monty J]

Rose wrote: "Is it also possible that the publisher sunk 6 figures into this woman and book and had to find a way to recoup that gamble? Thus, sensationalizing something that was a pointed reminder why most of the world reviles white Americans?"

Touche.

[Natalia]

I don't understand why anyone hate this book. Maybe is not the great novel that will change the world, but here I declare honestly, I enjoyed the book from beginning to end. I read in a time where I felt almost like Liz, alone, misunderstood and even depressed and was a great help, and a factor that helped me to change things. It made me love Italy and his food, India and his customs, but overall made ​​me learn to feel good about myself and my conflicts with God. I think it's worth when a book reaches one person and not thousands, however small, is an achievement.

[John]

I enjoyed the book a lot when I first read it in 2008. When I read Gilbert's subsequent book Committed, however, I found myself annoyed by what came across as a lot of self-absorption and narcissism. This caused me to look at EPL in a new light as well. I tried to watch the film version, but just couldn't lol.

[Natalia]

John wrote: "I enjoyed the book a lot when I first read it in 2008. When I read Gilbert's subsequent book Committed, however, I found myself annoyed by what came across as a lot of self-absorption and narcissis..."

I love the movie too, but just for the countries, Italy, India and Indonesia :)

[Eleanor]

I also disliked this book (I am in my 50s for those playing along at home). I disliked her narcissism, sure, but some of the travel bits were fine. What made me want to hurl this book across the room was her ultimate princess rescue nonsense at the end of it. Well, I'll be… she meets the Perfect Man just when she has to return home and actually deal with her real life. Gosh, that's not Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella at all, nope… I didn't bother with the movie. The only way any book or movie could work is if the main character is about 21. Anything older is unrealistic, IMO.

[Brian]

I rather enjoyed it. I think for many of us who do read regularly, though, a book with this much publicity and "oh, you have to read this" behind it comes across like that relative your family is always raving about . . . Could be a decent enough person, but the hype sows seeds of dislike that inevitably grow.
I've read many better books and I've read many that were worse. I went on to read Committed and enjoyed that as well.

[Mary]

Funny. I enjoyed it until Bali when I thought she had found another man to resolve her problems with, which annoyed me. I quite enjoyed it up until then but more as a travel memoir. I have friends who have had a midlife fall apart so I didn't find it particularly unrealistic (even though theirs was poorer too) But while it was great, I didn't think it was awful either. So there are some of us who are middle of the road about this book.

[Kaitlyn]

I found the author to be selfish and selfcentered. The book felt like it was all about what made her happy in life. Thank goodness she broke of the marriage to her first husband before kids were involved. I couldn't finish the book, mainly because she sounded like a spoiled brat.

[RedheadReads]

I liked the book because she didn't hide the fact that she is a whiny human being. And I disagree with "she whines her way through Italy and India." Italy was my favorite section. What woman doesn't want to eat and be happy in a beautiful city? I found that I would love to learn Italian and live in Italy for a while as well. The book is simply her feelings through everything. If she left out the way she reacted and the things she felt each place, it would be a lie. However, I did find parts of the book boring. Overall though, a good read!



I have yet to watch the movie...need to rent it soon.

[Terri]

So the protagonist nourishes her body with food in Italy and then nourishes her soul with prayer in India which prepares her to find love in Bali. Rather simplistic, no?

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

I think if one reads the negative reviews, one will see the reasons that those reviewers dislike the book. Many of us explained the reasons we didn't care for it there. Simples! *squeek*

[Barbara]

The book is ok. I wondered how she could fincancially afford to go globe hopping.

[[deleted user]]

She couldn't. Her publisher gave her an advance on the to be written books so she could get the material to write it.

[Barbara]

Thanks for reminding me. It has been a while since I read the book and I forgot. Still feel lukewarm about the book.

[Dianna]

Jazz wrote: "I am shocked to hear there are some people out there that don't like this book. We all can't like the same things in life but to say a book is awful is a bit drastic don't you think?

I saw the mov..."

I liked the movie...but the way the narrator is portrayed in the book is not admirable to me. She was very selfish......and such a horrible whiner....most people can not eat pray or love themselves through another city let alone another country. She was not a good character to me.

[Sandra]

Overall, I'm not a fan of this book, but that's just a matter of personal taste. I didn't even plan to ever read it. The only reason I did was that I was on vacation and I was running out of books because the books I had with me were over too soon, and then there it was, sitting on a shelf with books left in the hotel by other tourists, and it was the only one in a language I'm able to understand, though...

I admit it: One reason I didn't like it was that I was a little bit jealous. I'd love to have the opportunity to travel the globe for a year and do whatever I please to do while it's all pre-paid by a nice publishing company, but unfortunately, not all of us are so lucky. But I tried really hard to see past this issue because it IS a memoir and when this is the way it happened for the author, well, than I have trouble relating to it, but there's no need to change the story just to please the readers.

The part of the book I liked best was "Eat", that part in Italy entertained me. India was incredibly boring to read for me, but that's because I'm not interested in meditaion and spirituality. When it came to the "Love"-part of the book, I was already too annoyed with it to enjoy it, but I also had trouble relating to the author in this part.
I always thought that's because I was so much younger than her and in a completely different phase of my life when I read the book, though.

But that doesn't necessarily mean that it's a bad book - just personal taste, really.

[Ellen]

I didn't like the book because the writer was such a hyper narcissist and frankly, she was not all that interesting.

[Angie]

Hi i,m a bored housewife. I really enjoyed this book, why the hell would i not? cheers.

[CeeCee]

I couldn't get into it because the story line seemed a bit thin. I don't think it was a bad book, just not my style.

[Mochaspresso]

Perhaps it is the timing of when I read it, but I couldn't relate to her or her issues. I agree that she came across as extremely self-indulgent, privileged and "whiny".

[Caren]

The book had a good premise, but in the end, it seemed like the author was as lost as when she started. It's the tale of a woman who doesn't know what she wants and expects change and environment to answer that question for her.

[Peggy]

Boring, self-involved, whiny, etc. I couldn't finish it.

[Christine]

How is this book any different than anyone else's personal journey?! Is she supposed to lie about how she feels? Not travel? Not whine as much? Really?? Because there's a "way" we're supposed to be? Her line at the end which describes what she learns about herself and the process of doing this called the "physics of the quest" is amazing and I quote it again here for the record:

"If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting (which can be anything from your house to your bitter old resentments) and set out on a truth-seeking journey (either externally or internally), and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared – most of all – to face (and forgive) some very difficult realities about yourself... then truth will not be withheld from you." Or so I've come to believe.”
Just because most of us can't handle the real truth about us, nor are we able to look for it and leave behind uncomfortable things, does not mean she is "self-indulgent" or "whiny".

[[deleted user]]

Well said Christine! Couldn't agree more. This is a memoir not a work of fiction. She shouldn't have to change who she is to please the mass public.

[Monty J]

Christine wrote: "Just because most of us can't handle the real truth about us, nor are we able to look for it and leave behind uncomfortable things, does not mean she is "self-indulgent" or "whiny"."

Well said.

[Mochaspresso]

Christine wrote: "How is this book any different than anyone else's personal journey?! Is she supposed to lie about how she feels? Not travel? Not whine as much? Really?? Because there's a "way" we're supposed ..."

It may have been the timing for me, but I wasn't impressed with her bravery in leaving behind everything "familiar and comforting" considering the fact that she made certain to secure an advance before she left. That's not exactly brave. Brave is a mother in an abusive relationship leaving in the middle of the night with nothing but a child on each hip and the clothes on their backs. I disagree that all memoirs are as self-indulgent as this one was. This is different, imo, because many of the memoirs that I've previously read have been about people who faced very profound challenges in life. Things like racism, sexism, alcoholism, drugs, poverty, war, chronic or terminal illness, disability, abuse, violence, crime, social injustice. What was her "issue"? What was her "problem"? Besides the fact that she had a great job, a great guy and a great place to live and someone to finance her "journey", yet she was still miserable? That is mainly why I viewed it as whiny and self-indulgent....because I honestly could not relate to why she was so miserable. Her issues didn't seem all that profound to me, nor did anything that she supposedly learned. She had to have been exposed at least some of those very real world issues that I mentioned above during her travels yet she doesn't talk about that. She came across as very shallow and self-absorbed, imo.

[Janet]

Mochaspresso, you have put my feelings down perfectly. I expressed them above, but not all well as you. She's a rich, well-educated, married, white woman who has not suffered true wretchedness and we're supposed to enjoy reading about her experiences. And the religious stuff was just too much. [I'm too Catholic to take that nonsense seriously.] Anyway, thank you. Well said.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

Exactly. One does get a bit weary of those who have just about everything, being so unhappy because basically they have nothing left to want.

If a person were to go to India (or New York City, or London), roll up their sleeves and get stuck in helping those who literally have nothing, now that's a memoir that would hold my attention!

[Olivia]

Because it has a simple theme.

[Monty J]

Mochaspresso wrote: "That's not exactly brave. Brave is a mother in an abusive relationship leaving in the middle of the night with nothing but a child on each hip and the clothes on their backs."

That is true. Wasn't the only reason she gave that she was bored in her marriage and wasn't ready to settle down?

[[deleted user]]

I don't know that brave is necessarily the right word for leaving because she wasn't ready to settle down but that is a difficult thing to be able to admit that to yourself and get out. Too many people stay in marriages that don't make them happy for the wrong reasons and it is not good for either party in the end. So while I wouldn't call it bravery per se, it is still the better, although hard, choice for her and her husband in the end.

[Mochaspresso]

Out of curiosity, do people view her as a reliable narrator? I honestly didn't at times. I had the impression that she might have actually cheated on her husband with the actor even though she didn't exactly say it.

[Lara]

Kelsi wrote: "Well said Christine! Couldn't agree more. This is a memoir not a work of fiction. She shouldn't have to change who she is to please the mass public."

And I shouldn't have to change what I like to please her. It doesn't bother me that she got paid well, travelled and got a great movie deal. I still don't like the book. If she doesn't need to please the public, she shouldn't worry too much about the fact that some people find her a bit less than sympathetic. And, no I didn't find her very reliable either. Perhaps bored housewives are her ideal audience. However, I am too busy working my butt off to make the world a better place to feel bad for those who only want the world to be better for them.

[[deleted user]]

I never said you didn't have a right to your opinion about her writing. Like it or don't like it. It really makes no difference to me...I was merely saying it is a memoir and she wrote it how she saw fit.

[Mochaspresso]

It's been a while since I've read it. I decided to re-read it to see if my impressions are different now. Maybe I can relate to her issues better since I'm a little bit older?

[[deleted user]]

It's possible...I personally read it at a time when I was going through a really rough patch and I could kind of relate to what she was feeling and the nee to escape. If I was to tea it again I probably wouldn't care for it as much and might find her whiny like everyone says. I think it's really a matte of perspective.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all)]

In the words of Ava Gardner (according to Peter Evans, who struck me as a less-than-reliable biographer in the reading): "I remember it the way I want to remember it."

[Gillian]

I'm arriving to the party a bit late, but this is the review I posted on Amazon.com. I titled it "Spiritual Narcissism and gave it three stars:
I have such mixed feelings about this book. For starters, in order to even read it I had to put aside a pretty major reservation: To finance one's personal spiritual quest by getting an advance on a book one will write about said quest seems more than a bit exploitative.

But I put this reservation aside, and I actually enjoyed the first two thirds or so. I think the Italy section was the strongest. At this point in the book, the author is still feeling rather unsure of herself and the mess her life has become. In other words, she's humble, and her self-deprecating humor is enjoyable. This section alternates between travelogue--which, as an armchair traveler, I was very attracted to--and the beginnings of a search for the causes of the author's personal misery. At this point, she seems excited and open-minded, and so was I.

The second section, in India, kept my interest, largely owing to Richard from Texas, a colorful character whose own struggles in life have made him a refreshing, humorous wise man of sorts. I enjoyed the descriptions of the Ashram and some of the other seekers there, although I had some issues with the rather sudden breakthrough the author claims to have had, moving from complete meditation ineptitude to a kundalini experience with the mere change of mantra. As a yogini myself, I was disappointed that there was virtually no discussion at all of her hatha yoga practice; the meditation was all.

It was in the third section of the book that I started to develop a bad taste in my mouth. It is never clear, even from the outset of the book, what the point of the Indonesian segment is. She talks about finding "balance" there, but did she need to go to another country to find that? And she failed to convince me that the Balinese live a balanced lifestyle at all. In fact, this entire section was riddled with contradiction, not the least--or least concerning--of which is the fact that twice, she admits to lying outright to her friends. Is this the behavior of a woman who has been growing spiritually and finding a personal connection to God? The last lie she tells, to her friend Wayan, is nothing more than a way of manipulating the woman into doing what she wants. The author rationalizes her behavior by saying she made her friend do what was good for her and her children, as if it's her business in the first place. Let me back up. The entire situation that culminates in the lie originates in the author's decision to email her friends and ask them for money to buy her needy friend Wayan a house. However, she does so without even asking Wayan if this is what she wants, and then when she gives the money to Wayan, instead of using it to buy a house for her, she winds up manipulating her with lies in order to get her to use the money the way it was intended. Does this not seem a bit controlling and meddling? And is controlling and meddling a sign of spiritual growth?

What's more, it's one thing to do a good turn for someone and ask for nothing in return. Many people help others anonymously as a way of doing good in the world as a purely selfless, spiritual act. But the entire time Liz Gilbert is raising this money for her friend, she is TELLING US ABOUT IT IN GREAT DETAIL. In other words, she reaps the ego benefit of her act, which, in my own humble opinion, is not a spiritual approach to helping others. In fact, it keeps the author at the center of the story.Of course, simultaneously, she's making money off the story in the form of sales of the book, which to my understanding have been quite substantial, but I guess one could argue she didn't know it was going to be a best seller.

Meanwhile, the man she calls "my medicine man" (another thing that rubbed me the wrong way; what makes him hers?) keeps mentioning how badly he needs money, yet it appears Gilbert is spending day after day talking with the man and allegedly gleaning gems of wisdom from him without doing any more in return than photocopying his notes and putting them into binders. Does she even pay him for reading her palm and imparting his knowledge? If she does, she doesn't mention it, although she seems bemused enough by his repeated request to bring her Western friends to him for palm readings because "I am very empty in my bank." It seems only fair to pay a working medicine man who primarily serves a poverty stricken clientele for his time. In fact, there is something too colonial about the entire expate scene Gilbert becomes a part of. A bunch of well-to-do Westerners who can afford to live it up in an impoverished country live among and befriend the poor locals. Excuse me if I sound cynical, but Gilbert seems always to have the upper hand; her telling shows the local people revering her like some sort of goddess. Can you say British in India? French in Vietnam?

Yes, as other reviewers have said, Liz Gilbert 's memoir is self-absorbed, but what else could I expect from the story of one person's spiritual growth? I guess I expected her "growth" to look more selfless and less narcissistic. You know, more "spiritual."